THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY

EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
An Approach To Solving Personal and Professional Problems
STEPHEN R. COVEY

STEPHEN COVEY is co-founder and co-chairman of FranklinCovey Company, the world’s largest
management and leadership development company. He is also the author or coauthor of Principle-Centered
Leadership, First Things First, Daily Reflections For Highly Effective People, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Families and First Things First Every Day. Dr. Covey is a graduate of the University of Utah, Harvard
Business School and Brigham Young University.

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 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 1

Main Theme
The 7 Habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving us
progressively from dependence (on others) to independence (taking care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others and
combining strengths to multiply our individual effectiveness).
The first three habits are the basis for private victories in which we develop the fiber of our own character traits.
The second three habits are for public victories, those situations where we work with other people.
The final habit improves the effectiveness of our lives in all areas.
The 7 Habits give the ability to work from the inside out to build character of total integrity.

Personal Effectiveness
Habit 7 – Sharpen the saw.

Interdependence

Public Victory
Habit 6 – Synergize.
Habit 5 – Seek first to understand . . . Then to be understood.
Habit 4 – Think win/win.

Independence

Private Victory
Habit 3 – Put first things first.
Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind.
Habit 1 – Be proactive.

Dependence

Paradigms and Principles..........................................................................................................................................................Page 2

The Seven Habits – An Overview .............................................................................................................................................Page 3
Habit 1 – Be proactive. ..............................................................................................................................................................Page 3
Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind. .................................................................................................................................Pages 4 - 5
Habit 3 – Put first things first. ....................................................................................................................................................Page 5
Public Victory .........................................................................................................................................................................Page 5
Habit 4 – Think win/win. ............................................................................................................................................................Page 6
Habit 5 – Seek first to understand, then to be understood.................................................................................................Pages 6 - 7
Habit 6 – Synergize...................................................................................................................................................................Page 7
Habit 7 – Sharpen the saw. ................................................................................................................................................Pages 7 - 8
Inside Out Again ........................................................................................................................................................................Page 8
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 2

behaviors grow out of those assumptions. They also affect the

Paradigms and Principles way we interact with other people. In other words, sincere, clear
headed people can each see the same thing differently because
Main Idea each person is looking through the unique lens of their own
experience.
A paradigm is the way we see and understand the world around
us. It is a mental map by which we interpret the information we The more anyone becomes aware of their own paradigms and
receive. Paradigms hold the key to our own personal the extent to which they influence their perceptions, the more that
interpretation of reality. Principles are guidelines for human person can take responsibility for their paradigms and test them
behavior that have been proven over time to have enduring, against reality and try to perceive the larger picture for a more
permanent value. Our challenge is to develop paradigms for our objective view. In the book The Structure of Scientific
own lives that are principle based. Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn showed almost every significant
breakthrough in the field of scientific endeavor is first a break with
Supporting Ideas
tradition, with old ways of thinking, with old paradigms.
Many individuals who have achieved incredible degrees of
outward success find themselves struggling with an inner need Paradigm shifts, whether instantaneous or gradual, positive or
for healthy, growing relationships with other people. These are negative affect the way we see the world, and therefore our
the sorts of problems quick fixes cannot solve. attitudes and behaviors and relationships with other people.
Thus, if we want to make changes in our lives, we can do so by
An academic study was recently made on how perceptions were focusing on our paradigms. Paradigms are inseparable from our
formed, and how the way events are viewed governs behavior. character.
This led to a study of expectancy theory and self-fulfilling
prophecies. The study concluded that no matter how much a The character ethic is based on the fundamental idea that there
person works on their attitude, they won’t change if they don’t are principles that govern human effectiveness - natural laws that
change their perceptions. are just as unchanging as laws in the physical dimension. The
degree to which our own mental paradigm accurately describes
Much of the success literature of the past 50 years has been the reality does not alter its existence.
extremely superficial - filled with social image consciousness and
quick-fixes. On the other hand, success literature for the previous True principles surface again and again in the cycles of social
150 years focused on the character ethic as the foundation of history. In fact, people are either moving towards survival when
success - things like integrity, humility, fidelity, justice, patience they live in harmony or destruction when they move away.
and the Golden Rule. Examples are principles such as;
The character ethic taught there are basic principles of effective n Fairness
living, and that people can only experience true success and n Integrity
enduring happiness as they integrate those principles into their n Honesty
personal character. After World War I, the basic view of success
shifted from the character ethic to the personality ethic. Success n Human dignity
became a mere function of personality, public image, attitudes n Service
and skills. This involved public relations techniques and positive n Quality or excellence
mental attitude.
n Human potential
Some parts of the personality ethic are clearly manipulative or
Principles are not practices (specific activities that work in certain
even deceptive. Sometimes character was acknowledged, but it
circumstances). Nor are they values (which are simply maps of
was not considered fundamental to overall success. While
principles). Seen in this light, the glitter of the personality ethic is
fleeting reference was made to it, the general approach could be
that there is some shortcut, a get-rich-quick scheme to achieve
described as influence techniques, power strategies,
quality of life without paying the price. It is illusory and deceptive.
communication skills and positive attitudes.
The way we see any problem is the problem.
Perhaps in building upon the foundation of generations before us,
The 7 Habits are a new level of thinking - a paradigm shift based
we have inadvertently become so focused on the secondary
on a principle-centered, character-based inside-out approach to
traits that we have forgotten the primary traits at the foundation.
personal effectiveness.
To focus on techniques alone is to miss the whole point of why the
techniques are useful. In the long run, we cannot be successful if Key Thoughts
there is no actual foundation for success. It is the cramming “There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated
approach to getting grades in school. In the final analysis, what from right living.”
we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say — David Starr Jordan
or do. There are some people we trust absolutely because we “Into the hands of every individual is given a marvelous power for
know their character. Whether they are eloquent or not, or have good or evil - the silent, unconscious, unseen influence of his life.
human relations skills or not, we trust them and work successfully This is simply the constant radiation of what man really is, not what
with them. he pretends to be.”
The seven habits embody many of the fundamental principles of — William George Jordan
human effectiveness. They represent the internalization of “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level
correct principles upon which enduring happiness and success of thinking we were at when we created them.”
are based. Before studying them, consider the power of a — Albert Einstein
paradigm. A paradigm is like a map. It is not the actual piece of
territory but is an explanation or model of a piece of territory. “We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we begun and to know the place for the first
Everyone carries with them mental maps of two types - the way
time.”
things are and the way things should be. We often assume the
way we see things is the way they really are. All our attitudes and — T. S. Eliot
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 3

The Seven Habits - An Overview Habit 1 - Be proactive.

Main Idea Main Idea

The 7 habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated We can choose our own response to any signals or information
approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving we receive. We have the ability to influence our own actions.
us progressively from dependence (on others) to independence Therefore, being proactive means to actively choose what our
(take care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others response will be in any situation rather than to react blindly.
and combining strengths). Supporting Ideas
Supporting Ideas Man is unique in that he alone can think about his very own
Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Habits are thought process. Every other creature simply reacts. Man can
powerful factors in our lives because they express our character control his thoughts. This is why we can learn from the
and produce our effectiveness. A habit can be defined as the generations that have gone before us, and why man can
intersection of knowledge (the what to do), skill (how to do it) and evaluate and learn from other people’s experiences. This is the
desire (the motivation to do it). We need all three to form a habit. principle of self-awareness, the most fundamental paradigm.
Happiness can be defined as the fruit of the ability to sacrifice Until we take into account how we see ourselves and others, we
what we want now for what we want eventually. True limit our ability to relate to others.
independence of character empowers us to act rather than be Between every stimulus and response, rational human beings
acted upon. However, life is, by its very nature, highly have the freedom to choose a response. This is due to the
interdependent. Much more can be achieved through presence of;
interdependence. It opens the opportunity to share meaningfully n Self-awareness - the ability to control thoughts.
with others, and provides access to the vast resources and
potential of other people. You can’t be effectively interdependent n Imagination - the ability to mentally create a new reality.
until you are truly independent. n Conscience - an inner awareness of right and wrong.
n Habits 1,2 and 3 deal with self-mastery or private victories n Independent will - the ability to act on thoughts.
and lay the foundation for other habits. In other words, animals can’t change their programming but
n Habits 4,5 and 6 deal with the public victories. human beings can write their own directions on how to treat new
situations. Each person has the ability to be either reactive or
n Habit 7 is the habit of renewal of the four basic dimensions
proactive in every situation that arises. This is the true meaning of
of a meaningful life.
“response-ability” - the ability to choose our own response.
The 7 habits are habits of effectiveness based on principles that Proactive people are highly responsible.
make long-term beneficial results possible.
Proactivity means to subordinate impulses to values. Reactive
people are swept away by the heat of the moment. Proactive
P/PC Balance people are driven by values that are both well thought out and
internalized.
Main Idea It is not what happens that is important. It is our response to
The 7 Habits are also habits of effectiveness. Effectiveness is the whatever happens that makes all the difference. Often, the most
result of a balance known as the P/PC balance. difficult circumstances become crucibles that forge our character
and develop hidden reserves of strength. What matters most in
P stands for production of desired results. PC stands for
life is not what happens to us, but how we respond to whatever
production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden
happens. Our basic nature is to act, not to wait to be acted upon.
egg. The essence of effectiveness is the balance between the
We have the ability to take the initiative in any situation we are in.
short-term and the long-term.
Everyone either waits to be acted on or takes responsibility for
their own course and make the appropriate decisions.
Being proactive doesn’t mean being pushy, aggressive or
insensitive. Rather, proactivity means to control a situation from
P PC the inside out. Or in other words, to affect positive change, stop
focusing on the immediate circumstances and instead consider
Production Production your response to the conditions that exist. Do that and you have
Capacity removed the power of anything external to affect you.
While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to
For example, for a piece of machinery, P is the machine itself. PC choose the consequences of our actions. Consequences are
is the regular maintenance required. If we concentrate on high P
governed by natural law outside our influence. We can, for
(production levels) at the expense of PC (regular maintenance),
example, decide whether or not to step in front of a moving train
we have short-term gains at the expense of long term
but we cannot decide what will happen when the train hits us. We
productivity. Long-term success requires maintaining a proper are free to choose our response to any situation, but in doing so
P/PC balance. Both are necessary, and both need to be we automatically choose the attendant consequence.
addressed.
It is in the ordinary events of every day that we develop our
Key Thoughts proactive skills. It is in the little things that we show our true
“That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness character traits. Our response to the little irritations in life will also
only which gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a
affect responses to disasters.
proper price on its goods.”
— Thomas Paine
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 4

Your first instinct in developing a mission statement is to use your

Habit 2 - Begin with the end in mind. left hemisphere only. However, equally important is the
perspective the right hemisphere can add. To get this, you have
Main Idea to visualize the result of all your efforts. Some ways to do this
Beginning with the end in mind means using an image or might include;
paradigm of your character at the end of your life as a frame of n Visualize being at your own funeral. Write a eulogy. What
reference or criterion by which everything is examined. Each part sort of things would you like to be said about you?
of your life should be examined in the context of the whole - the n Visualize being at your 50th wedding anniversary. What
long-term view. kind of family relationship do you have?
Supporting Ideas n Visualize your retirement day. What do people in your
To begin with the end in mind requires a clear vision of your industry have to say about you?
destination, and where you now are. Then you can clarify what Personal leadership is not a single experience. It does not begin
needs to yet be done to get where you’d like to end up. It’s easy to and end with writing your mission statement. It’s an ongoing
get so caught up in climbing the ladder of success that you fail to process to keep your vision and values before you and to align
make sure the ladder is leaning against the right wall. It’s easy to your life consistently with the underlying principles you espouse
be busy without being effective, to score many hollow victories at most strongly. Use a mission statement to write affirmations that
the expense of critical events. We may be very busy, we may will guide your actions. Good affirmations are personal, positive,
even be very efficient, but we will only be truly effective when we present tense, visual and emotional.
begin with an end in mind.
Research has shown that almost all world-class athletes and
Beginning with the end in mind is based on the principle that all other peak performers are visualizers. They see it, feel it and
things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a experience it in their mind before they actually do it. They begin
physical or second creation. The first creation can be either by with the end in mind. You can do the same in every area of your
conscious design, or as a result of outside pressures. We can life by using affirmations based on a personal mission statement.
create our own script or reactively live the scripts others create.
Example: Clearing a jungle. The managers are there directing the
workers and getting them to sharpen their saws, exercise to Habit 3 - Put first things first.
develop the right muscles and improving the efficiency of the
workers. Leaders are climbing the highest tree, surveying the Main Idea
situation and yelling out “Wrong jungle!” The managers respond, The heart of effective personal time management is to spend the
“Who cares? Look at how efficiently we’re clearing away the maximum time possible doing important jobs in a non-urgent
undergrowth.” atmosphere that increases your efficiency.
Effectiveness doesn’t depend solely on how much effort we
expend, but also on whether or not we are in the right jungle. No 1. 2.
management success can compensate for failure in leadership.
Important & Important &
A particularly effective way to get into the habit of beginning with
Urgent Non-Urgent
the end in mind is to write your own mission statement,
philosophy or creed. This should focus on what you want to be
(character), do (contributions & achievements) and on the values 3. 4.
or principles upon which being and doing are based. Urgent But Not Not Urgent &
A mission statement is a personal constitution. It is a written Important Not Important
standard, the key criterion by which everything is evaluated and
directed. It becomes the basis by which decisions are made on a
day to day basis. It is a basic direction from which to set long-term Supporting Ideas
and short-term goals. There are four basic types of activities;
The ideal situation is to center our lives on correct principles. 1. Important and Urgent Activities
Correct principles do not change, and do not react to anything. These include responding to a crisis, pressing problem or tight
They are deep, fundamental truths that are consistent, exacting deadline. Crisis managers and problem-minded people are
and timeless. They do not require recognition for their validity. consumed primarily with this area of time management.
And best of all, they can be validated in our own lives.
Principle-centered living provides wisdom and guidance in that 2. Important But Not Urgent Activities
we see things as they really are, have been and will be. The Preventative maintenance, relationship building, creative
power of this type of living comes from freedom of the influence of thinking, planning and recreation. This area is at the heart of
other people’s attitudes. The wisdom of principle-centered living effective personal management, and holds the key to business
means that we have the correct perspective on events that occur. efficiency.
A mission statement is not something you write overnight. It will 3. Not Important But Urgent Activities
take careful thought and many hours of introspection to produce. Phone calls, mail, some meetings and other pressing matters.
Yet, the process of writing one is as important as the product These tasks are often only urgent because someone else has
itself. And it will need to be rewritten and reviewed regularly to that expectation, and some people spend time here thinking
take into account additional insights or changing circumstances. they are covering essential matters.
Developing a mission statement calls for use of both sides of the 4. Not Important And Non-Urgent Activities
brain. The left hemisphere of the brain is logical, dealing with Includes trivia, some mail, time wasters and pleasant
words and specifics. The right hemisphere is more intuitive and harmless activities. Spending all your time here is a sure way
creative, dealing with pictures and relationships. to be totally ineffective.
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 5

The goal is to maximize your time in quadrant 2 on important but

Public Victory
non-urgent activities. This is the heart of effective personal
management. By increasing the amount of tasks carried out in
quadrant 2, the likelihood of tasks cropping up in quadrant 1 are Main Idea
minimized. Effective interdependence can only be built on a foundation of
Effective people are not problem minded - they are opportunity true independence. Private victory precedes a public victory. You
minded. They think preventively. The only way to concentrate can’t be successful with other people if you haven’t paid the price
efforts on quadrant 2 activities is to cut time spent on quadrants 3 of success with yourself first. Interdependence is a choice only
and 4 activities. To be proactive about choosing quadrant 2 independent people can make.
activities, get into the habit of saying “No” to quadrant 3 and 4 Supporting Ideas
activities. Sometimes this will take diplomacy. Centering The most important ingredient we can contribute to any
decisions on correct principles and focusing on a mission relationship is not what we say or do, but what we are. If our
statement gives the guidance needed to make decisions. The words and actions come from superficial techniques rather than
way you spend your time is a direct result of the way you really an inner core, people will sense that. So, the place to begin
see your own personal priorities, whether you like to admit it or building any relationship is in our own character.
not.
Interdependence opens up worlds of possibilities for deep, rich
The objective of quadrant 2 management is to manage our lives and meaningful associations leading to increased productivity. It
effectively - from a center of sound principles, a knowledge of our is where we have the potential for the greatest joys and the
personal mission (focusing on the important and the urgent) and greatest pain. Interdependence is like an Emotional Bank
a balance between increasing our production and increasing our Account. We make deposits into this account by courtesy,
production capacity. kindness, honesty, openness and keeping commitments. When
The six criteria of quadrant 2 time management skills are; your account is in credit, you can make occasional mistakes and
1. Coherence - harmony between your personal mission they can be compensated for. If your account is empty or
statement and both short- and long-term activities. overdrawn, there is a lot of tension, and you have to be very
2. Balance - identify your various roles and keep them focused so careful with every word you utter and everything you do.
important areas are not inadvertently ignored. Make deposits into your Emotional Bank Account by;
3. Quadrant 2 focus – deal with prevention and anticipation rather 1. Understanding the individual. What may be a deposit to one
than crisis control. Rather than prioritizing your schedule, you person may be nothing or even a withdrawal to another.
schedule time to achieve your priorities. Therefore, you need to get to know the individual.
4. A people dimension - your planning needs to reflect thinking in 2. Attending to the little things. In relationships or associations,
terms of dealing effectively with other people, as they can the big things are really the little things – courtesies and small
influence your time schedule. acts of kindness. Little forms of disrespect can make large
withdrawals if you’re not careful.
5. Flexibility - time management needs to be tailored to exactly
the way you need it to work for your life. 3. Keeping commitments. Keeping a promise is a very large
deposit, breaking a promise is the largest withdrawal it’s
6. Portability - time management needs to be on the go and with
possible to make. People tend to build their hopes around
you at all times, not just in your office.
promises.
Time management begins with four key activities;
4. Clarifying expectations. The cause of many problems is simply
1. Identify the key roles of your life. Everyone wears a number of conflicting or ambiguous expectations. Therefore, it’s vital in
different hats in their business, personal and social lives. Write any new situation to get all expectations tabled so they can be
down the roles you fill in the average week. discussed and covered. This may take courage on the part of
2. Select goals – maybe two or three that you want to achieve in all parties involved.
the coming week in each of your roles. 5. Showing personal integrity. Integrity is the basis of many kinds
3. Scheduling. Look at each week with your goals in mind. When of deposits, while lack of integrity undermines almost all other
are you going to set aside time to achieve your goals? efforts to make deposits. Honesty is telling the truth or
4. Adapt on a daily basis. This may mean responding to conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality
unexpected events in meaningful ways. The more completely to our words or keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.
weekly goals are tied in to a wider framework of correct One important way to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those
principles and a mission statement, the greater the increase in who are not present, as that communicates consistency.
effectiveness. Long term organizing means the mission Integrity means you treat everyone by the same set of rules.
statement leads to the roles leading to goals and then to plans. 6. Apologizing sincerely when you make a withdrawal. This
Key Thoughts requires a great deal of strength of character.
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things Key Thoughts
which matter least.” “There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence
— Goethe without integrity.”
“The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t — Samuel Johnson
like to do. They don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their “It is more difficult to give yourself completely to one individual than to
disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.” labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.”
— E.M. Gray — Dag Hammarskjold, U.N. Secretary-General
“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
things.” compared to what lies within us.”
— Peter Drucker & Warren Bennis — Oliver Wendell Holmes
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 6

4. Systems – Win/Win can only survive in an organization when

Habit 4 - Think win/win. the systems support it. If you talk Win/Win but reward
Win/Lose, then don’t be surprised when everyone goes for
Main Idea Win/Lose scenarios. The training, planning, budgeting,
The most effective way to work with other people is to structure a communication, information and compensation systems all
win/win relationship focused on results, not methods. have to be geared towards Win/Win.
Supporting Ideas 5. Processes – The essence of structuring Win/Win is to
Basic paradigms of human interaction are; separate the person from the problem, to focus on interests
and not on positions, to invent options for positive mutual gain
1. Win/Win – A frame of mind and heart constantly seeking and to insist on objective criteria – some external standard or
mutual benefit in business and personal transactions. All principle that both parties can accept. These processes are
parties feel good about decisions and commit to the plan. more fully examined in Habits 5 and 6.
2. Win/Lose – Authoritarian approach involving the use of
position, power, credentials, possessions or personality. Also
involves an extrinsic approach by comparisons to others. Habit 5 - Seek first to understand,
then to be understood.
3. Lose/Win – This is capitulation, allowing the other party to do
whatever they like. It can also be permissiveness or
indulgence. Some people alternate between Win/Lose and Main Idea
Lose/Win constantly. Everyone has a natural tendency to rush in and try to give advice
4. Lose/Lose – Comes about through being so centered on an or try to fix things before taking the time to diagnose or try to
enemy that you become willing to hurt your own interests if it understand why the other person feels the way they do. The trick,
will mean the other person will also lose. however, is to seek first to understand the other person, then to
5. Win – Thinking in terms of our own interests alone, we leave try and be understood yourself.
the other person to look out for themselves and give no thought Supporting Ideas
to their position. Most people have no training in how to listen effectively. By
6. Win/Win-or-No-Deal – Means that if a mutually beneficial deal comparison, years are spent learning how to read and write
cannot be structured, then there is general agreement to effectively. If you really want to interact with another person, you
disagree agreeably! In other words, if you find you are both need to take the time to listen to where they now are. Unless you
wanting to head in different directions, it is better not to try and have shown the person you acknowledge their uniqueness, they
set up a deal between both parties. Provides tremendous are not going to be open to any advice from you. This is not
emotional freedom. technique alone - you have to build skills on a foundation base of
character and deposits to Emotional Bank Accounts.
Of all the options, Win/Win-or-No-Deal is the most desirable,
especially at the beginning of a business or personal association. Most people don’t listen with an intent to understand - they listen
with the intent to reply. They are either speaking or preparing to
There are five dimensions to the habit of thinking Win/Win;
speak. They see others through the lens of their own
1. Character – Thinking win/win requires integrity (the value we autobiographies. The key to understanding another person is
place on our own principles) on the part of both parties. It also empathetic listening – really trying to understand everything
requires maturity – the balance between courage and (including the nonverbal signals) the other person is
consideration. Expressing feelings with courage tempered by communicating. You listen for feeling and for meaning, for
consideration for the feelings of others is the mark of a mature behavior and other signals. You are totally focused on the other
person. Finally, to think win/win, we need an abundance person’s point of view, not projecting your own life’s story into
mentality, meaning we realize there is plenty out there for their words.
everyone. People with a scarcity mentality think there is only
Remember, satisfied needs do not motivate a person to action.
one pie and they are fighting to get as large a slice as possible.
When they are fed, they no longer look around for food. Similarly,
People with an abundance mentality realize there are lots of
you cannot and should not move on to satisfying a person’s need
opportunities, more than a person can take advantage of.
to solve a problem before satisfying the need for them to feel like
2. Relationships – The Emotional Bank Account is a key to they have been understood by you. Diagnose before you
structuring a Win/Win. If enough deposits have been made prescribe. It actually requires a great deal of security on your own
over a period of time, you have a degree of credibility enabling part, as you will also be opening up yourself to be influenced by
you to focus on the issues, not on personality conflicts. If both that person.
parties have high emotional bank balances combined with a
This is actually the mark of all true professionals. The amateur
commitment to Win/Win, a tremendous amount of synergy is
salesman sells products, the professional salesman sells
possible. If the other person is not thinking Win/Win, you have
solutions to needs and problems. A lawyer first gathers the facts
to take the lead and be proactive enough to keep hammering
to understand the situation, including laws and precedents,
until they realize you genuinely want a Win/Win deal. The
before preparing a case. A good engineer will understand the
relationship can be the key to the success of the entire
forces and stresses at work within a design before drawing a
process.
bridge. The key to good judgment is understanding. If we judge
3. Agreements – These give definition and direction to Win/Win. first, we will never fully understand.
To be effective, agreements should focus on desired results
When people have a problem and you really listen to understand
rather than the methods to be followed. Guidelines specifying
them, you’ll be surprised how quickly and how fully they will open
the parameters for the results and the resources available to
up to you. Empathetic listening takes time, but not nearly as
achieve the results should be included. Also a method of
much time as it will take to back up and correct
accountability for evaluation and an outline of what will happen
misunderstandings when you are much further down the road.
as a result of the evaluation.
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 7

Once you understand, then you have got to try to be understood two people are of the same opinion, one is unnecessary. Synergy
yourself. Maturity is defined as the balance between courage and can also be used to deal with negative forces working against
consideration. Seeking to understand requires consideration, growth and change. Any current level of performance is actually
seeking to be understood takes courage. Win/Win requires a high a state of equilibrium between the driving forces (positive, logical,
degree of both. conscious or economic) encouraging upward movement and the
restraining forces that discourage it (negative, emotional, illogical
The Greeks had a philosophy embodied in three words: ethos,
or unconscious). Increasing the driving forces will bring results
pathos and logos. Ethos is your personal credibility, integrity and
for a time, but the application synergy both increases the driving
competency. It is in effect the balance of your Emotional Bank
forces and decreases the restraining forces. Synergy is the result
Account. Pathos is the feeling. It means being in emotional
of applying all the previous habits. It cannot be built except on a
alignment with the other person. Logos is the logic, the reasoning
foundation established by Habits 1 to 6. It can exist in a teamwork
part of the presentation. Note the sequence: ethos, pathos, logos
environment with other people or you can be personally
- your character, your relationship and your logic. Most people go
synergetic in your own actions.
straight to the logos without first taking ethos and pathos into
consideration. Key Thoughts
When you can present your own ideas clearly, specifically, “We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit
it to life.”
visually and contextually (in the context of your listener’s
concerns), you increase the credibility of your ideas. Habit 5 lifts — Edwin Markham
you to greater accuracy, integrity and effectiveness in your
presentations. And best of all, seeking first to understand is within Habit 7 - Sharpen the saw.
your own control. It is something you can practice right now. You
can put this principle into immediate action. Main Idea
Key Thoughts Habit 7 is taking time to sharpen the saw. In other words, don’t get
“The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.” so busy sawing that you don’t realize you are using a blunt saw.
— Pascal Take the time on a regular basis to sharpen your saw in the
physical, spiritual, mental and social or emotional dimensions.
Habit 6- Synergize. Supporting Ideas
Sharpening the saw involves four separate dimensions;
Main Idea 1. Physical exercise – Spending a minimum of 30 minutes per
Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. day exercising will vastly improve the quality of the remaining
In other words, each of the parts combine to create new and hours every day. Exercise on a regular basis will preserve and
exciting unexpected discoveries that were not possible before. It enhance your capacity to work and adapt and enjoy. Exercise
is a creative force of unparalleled power created in the principles is rarely ever urgent, you have to be proactive and set your
of creative cooperation. own standard. You also find as you exercise, you will
experience a paradigm shift of your own self image.
Supporting Ideas
Synergy is the true test and manifestation of all the other habits 2. Spiritual – Renewing the spiritual dimension provides
combined. leadership to your life. It is highly related to Habit 2. The
spiritual dimension is at the very core of your value system,
When you communicate synergistically, you are opening your drawing upon the sources that inspire and uplift you. People
mind and heart to new possibilities, new alternatives and new
draw spiritual strength in many different ways. Rather than
options. You create something entirely new that is better than you
concentrating on how this should be done, the key principle is
ever thought it could be. This is the very essence of team spirit. to make sure it is being refreshed frequently in your own life.
When you work along synergetic lines, you can never be sure
where the final result will lie. The only thing you can be certain of Immersion in great literature or music can provide spiritual
is that the end result of applying this method will truly justify the renewal for some people. So too can time spent alone
means. You literally can achieve more as a combined group than communicating with nature. Everyone has different needs,
you ever could alone. Whole new worlds of insights, new and draw upon different wells of spiritual strength. This is a
perspectives, new paradigms leading to new options and definite Quadrant 2 activity. It is rarely ever urgent - we usually
alternatives are opened to your vision. have to make time for spiritual renewal on a regular basis. The
idea is to take the time to draw on the leadership center of our
An activity like working on a mission statement should be lives. As we consider our battles in the larger context, we can
undertaken in a synergetic environment. This requires a high
draw renewed strength for the challenges at hand.
level of both trust and cooperation amongst all participants. In
fact, mutual trust is a key. If trust is low, the activity is dominated A personal mission statement can be very important to
by legal jargon in order to protect everyone’s interests. In a spiritual renewal. We can take this time to recommit ourselves
medium level of trust, there is respectful communication with to our center and purpose in life. We can mentally live out
polite intellectual compromises in effect. However, the most events before they actually occur. We can achieve our private
creative situations arise when there exists an environment where victories before our actions ever move into the public gaze.
the solutions are far better than either party could ever have 3. The mental dimension – Formal education teaches the
achieved alone. processes of mental development, study discipline,
Synergy draws its energy and its effectiveness from the exploration of new subjects, analytical thought and expressive
differences between people – mental, emotional and writing. Many people trade the classroom for the TV set as the
psychological differences all contribute. It is this combination of basis of their thinking when they leave school. Habit 3 gave the
individual paradigms that make the synergetic process so basis for developing the self-discipline to ignore TV and
powerful. When we value the differences in perception that exist instead develop serious study programs around new subjects.
between people, we are able to transcend the limits created. If Television is a good servant but a poor master.
 The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People - Page 8

Continuing education – honing and expanding the mind – is

Inside Out Again
vital mental renewal. Proactive people develop many ways to
educate themselves, or use the external discipline of
systemized study programs. It is extremely valuable to train Key Idea
the mind to stand apart and examine its own program. It is also The discovery that there is a gap between stimulus and response
valuable to read broadly and to expose yourself to the thoughts that we alone can fill in empowers us to take full charge of our
of great minds. Reading good books on a regular basis own lives. No longer can we accept that we are a victim of
broadens your outlook on life. Writing is another powerful way circumstances, or that we have achieved anything simply
to sharpen the mental saw. Writing also affects our ability to because it is in our genes. The 7 Habits give anyone the ability to
think clearly, to reason accurately and to be understood work from the inside out (character-driven acts) as opposed to an
effectively. Organizing and planning are other habits which outside in approach (circumstances-driven). Real change comes
sharpen the mind. from the inside out. It doesn’t come from hacking at the leaves of
4. The social / emotional dimension – Centered in the principles attitude and behavior. It comes from striking at the roots of the
discussed in Habits 4, 5 and 6, the skills required to renew the fabric of our thoughts, the paradigms we use and the essential
social and emotional dimension require communication and pattern of our characters.
creative cooperation. Achieving unity with ourselves, our loved ones, our friends and
Our emotional lives are primarily developed out of and working associates is the highest and most delicious fruit of the 7
manifested in our relationships with others. Renewing our Habits. Building a character of total integrity isn’t easy but it’s
social / emotional dimension can be carried out in our normal, possible. It isn’t a quick fix. By centering our lives on correct
everyday interactions with other people. All it takes is the principles and creating a balanced focus between doing and
correct emphasis and a little bit of effort. Success in this area is increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in the task of
highly related to our sense of intrinsic security. If we are relying creating effective, useful and peaceful lives.
on the paradigms of other people for our own sense of worth, Key Thoughts
we are walking a perilous path. We should instead be “It was then that I drew, almost unconsciously, on the inner strength I
developing an inner sense of integrity built on accurate had developed in Cell 54 of Cairo Central Prison - a strength, call it a
paradigms and correct principles. Peace of mind comes when talent or capacity, for change. I found that I faced a highly complex
your life is in harmony with true principles and values and no situation, and that I couldn’t hope to change it until I had armed
other way except effective interdependent living. myself with the necessary psychological and intellectual capacity. My
There is also an intrinsic security that comes from service, from contemplation of life and human nature in that secluded place had
helping other people in a meaningful way. When you view your taught me that he who cannot change the very fabric of his thought
own life as constructive and exciting because of the difference will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make
any progress.”
you are making in the lives of other people, you’re on the path
towards a long, healthy and helpful life. The self-renewal — Anwar Sadat
process must include balanced renewal in all four dimensions “That which we persist in doing becomes easier - not that the nature
of our nature. To neglect any one area impacts negatively on of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.”
the rest. A mission statement should provide recognition of — Emerson
each of these four dimensions.
“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring
Balanced renewal is optimally synergetic. The things you do to will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first
sharpen the saw in any one dimension has positive impact in time.”
other dimensions as well as they are highly interrelated. As you — T.S. Eliot
improve in one dimension, you increase abilities in the other
dimensions as well. A Daily Private Victory, in which you spend “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability
of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”
one hour a day in the renewal of the physical, spiritual and mental
dimensions, is the key to the development of the 7 Habits. It is — Henry David Thoreau
also the foundation for the Daily Public Victory. “The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath
Renewal is the principle – and the process – enabling us to move so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by
on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in
improvement. The upward spiral consists of three steps; fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.”
— Samuel Johnson
1. To Learn
2. To Commit “I have so much to do today, I’ll need to spend another hour on my
knees.”
3. To Do — Martin Luther King
Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit and
“The greatest battles of life are fought out daily in the silent chambers
do on increasingly higher planes. To keep progressing, we must
of the soul.”
repeat the cycle over and over.
— David O. McKay
Key Thoughts
“They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them.” “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he
can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”
— Gandhi
— Goethe

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